“As a young man marries a young woman, so will your Builder marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you.”
Acceptance
“Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.”
Think about...
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
Live in Reliance
“Test me, Lord, and try me,
examine my heart and my mind;
for I have always been mindful of your unfailing love
and have lived in reliance on your faithfulness.”
As I have loved you
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Belonging
“I belong to my beloved, and his desire is for me.”
To Save the World
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
The Greatest
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
Writing History
“History is not written in advance, it is written by the fidelity with which we hear and obey the call of God. In every situation there is a challenge from God to help Him redeem the situation. He offers us opportunity to share in making history according to His pattern.”
A New Heart
“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God.”
Doing a New Thing
“Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland.”
A New Year of Hope
“Our hope is not in the new year, but in the One who makes all things new.”
It’s tradition to come up with resolutions on New Year’s Eve. There really is something renewing and refreshing about entering a new year. We’ve made yet another trip around the sun, and before we set out to do it again, we want to find ways to make it even better than the last. What are your hopes and dreams for 2022? As we celebrate, let us remember that none of our hopes, dreams, goals or accomplishments come from ourselves alone. They are gifts from God, and we need God’s strength to walk through this year. Whatever God has placed on your heart, pray about it, asking Him for guidance, wisdom, and courage. He will walk every step with you. He will be there even if your path takes you in the opposite direction you expect. He will celebrate your victories with you; He will comfort you and grow you through those things that don’t work out. Look for God in everything you do, and He will bless you. Happy New Year!
“The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you...”
Journey on!
Love
“O Come let us adore Him, O Come let us adore Him, O Come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.”
We were a broken world in need of a healing so deep, it could only come from God. Out of God’s incredible love for us. He sent His only son to earth to save followers from every generation, past, present and future! This love is unconditional. It meets us where we are and wraps us in light. It sees past our scars and shame, and rescues us out of our despair. God’s love is SO great, the extent of it cannot be fully grasped! What a precious gift from a Father. This love came to earth in the form of a man. Jesus’ birth, life, and death allows us to freely accept God’s gift of salvation. His commandments are simple: love God, and love others. As we reflect on the power and majesty of God and His infinite love, let us find ways to share that love to the world. Let us adore Christ, not only celebrating His life but imitating His love. Who can you bless this Christmas season? How can you pass on the love that was so generously given to you by God?
“We love because he first loved us.”
Journey on!
Peace
“Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.”
If I could be a fly on the wall of the stores on Black Friday, the awkward family holiday dinner fraught with relational drama, or the van of a family rushing from one Christmas event to the next, I’m not sure the feeling I would come away with would be PEACE. It can be a challenge to feel peaceful in a season that has become quite busy and full of obligations. While the Christmas flurry of activities brings a lot of excitement, we all get to a point where we need moments of peace. And peace is a gift that God gave us in Jesus. When I think about how peaceful God’s son must have looked, swaddled and sleeping in the manger, it warms my heart and reminds me of what matters. So how can we engage in holiday fun and still find peace?
Here are some of the ways I focus on peace during this season:
Remembering that God is always in control, no matter what happens.
Allowing myself some white space in my calendar (take a night off to rest!).
Starting the day with prayer that God will help me be at peace and feel His presence.
Finding ways to help others. Giving back spreads love and peace to the world.
What are some other ways you can work on making time for peace in your life right now?
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”